Download preserving the Union

1860 Election (stance on slavery)
• Democratic Party *split in two
– Northern democrats nominated Stephen
Douglas; South regarded him as a traitor
because of his position on Lecompton and
Freeport Doctrine (popular sovereignty)
– Southern democrats nominated John
Breckinridge
• Kentucky moderate who favored preservation of
Union
• Platform was extension of slavery into territories
and annexation of Cuba (slave as well)
1860 Election (stance on slavery)
• Constitutional Union Party
– John Bell of Tennessee was the nominee
• Compromise candidate from border state
– Party made up of former Whigs from border
states and members of the Know-Nothing
party
– Main goal/platform was to elect a compromise
candidate to preserve the union
1860 Election (stance on slavery)
• Republican Party
– Nominate Abraham Lincoln
• William Seward was first choice but party decided
he was too radical so Lincoln was seen as a
moderate
– Platform (know this!):
• Non-extension of slavery (for Freesoilers)
• Protective tariff (for industrialists)
• No loss of rights for immigrants (against Know
Nothings)
• Transcontinental Railroad (for West)
• Internal improvements at Federal expense (for
West)
• Free homesteads from public domain (for West)
Lincoln won with
less than 40%
Lincoln not
allowed on the
ballot in 10
Southern states
Once Lincoln is
elected, South
Carolina secedes
from the United
States (Secession:
12/30; election had
been 11/6)
•303 total
electoral votes and
152 to win.
Election of 1860
Secession!: SC Dec.
20, 1860
Created by Marjorie Pojer
Edited by Raul Lopez
Video Analysis
1. Why did Southerners dislike Abraham Lincoln?
2. Who were the first 7 states to secede from the
Union? Why did Pres. Buchanan remain
indifferent?
3. Who was nominated President of the
Confederacy and how organized was their new
government?
4. How did Lincoln address Secessionist states in
his inauguration? What was his intention?
5. What effect did the attack on Fort Sumter have on
the Confederacy?
Inaugural Address
• Lincoln vowed to preserve the Union
– “hold, occupy, and possess” all Federal
property in the South
– “physically speaking, we cannot separate”
– Careful not to offend border slave states with
“hawkish” rhetoric
– Republicans and Democratic Unionists
supported the speech
– Lower South saw it as a war message
Fort Sumter
• Located at the mouth of Charleston
Harbor, Fort Sumter was one of the last
remaining Federal forts in the South
• Major Robert Anderson Notified Lincoln
that the fort would soon be out of supplies
and without them, he would have to
surrender to confederate forces which now
surrounded him
Fort Sumter
• Lincoln was in a no-win situation
– Not sending supplies would ruin his credibility to
uphold the Union
– Sending supplies would be perceived as an act of war
by Confederacy
• Lincoln notified South Carolina that he was
sending only supplies and no additional soldiers to
the fort
– If war breaks out, Lincoln wanted the South to fire first
WHY?
Fort Sumter
• April 12, 1861- 70 confederate cannons
begin bombardment of Fort Sumter
– Anderson’s garrison held for 34 hours before
they were forced to surrender the fort
– Anderson’s men allowed to return North
– No loss of life on either side in the first official
skirmish of the Civil War
Picture: Fort Sumter 1
Fort Sumter 2
WAR IS ON
• April 15, 1861- Lincoln calls for 75,000
volunteers for a 90 day military service
• Before Sumter many Americans thought
South had the right to secede but with
attack, many northerners to fight for honor
of the North and to preserve the Union
– Lincoln’s plan had worked- South was seen
as the aggressors and the North as the victim
WAR PLANS
• April 19, 1861- Lincoln proclaims a
blockade of Southern ports
– Ineffective at first but eventually strangled the
South
• May 3, 1861- Lincoln calls for 3 year
volunteers
– 90 day militia not sufficient
• 4 more states (VA, AK, TN, and NC)
secede
– Viewed Lincoln as waging war
– Richmond replaces Montgomery as capital of
Confederacy
Border States
• Kentucky, Missouri, Maryland, and (later)
West Virginia
– Remained in the Union since North didn’t start
the war
– Contained over 50% of white population in the
South
– Crucial to Union cause- sent 300,000 soldiers into
Union army
– Lincoln said he was “hoping to have God on his
side, but he would rather have Kentucky”
– West Virginia broke away from Virginia in 1861 to
join Union
– Strongest case against slavery being the cause
• Slavery existed in border states but they still fought with
Union
– Family members often joined opposite sides of
conflict
Border States
• Politically, Lincoln had to keep border
states in mind when making decisionsthere was always the threat of them
switching sides
– ****Declared war was being fought to
preserve union- not about freeing the slaves
– Heavily criticized by abolitionists who saw him
as a sell-out
VA. 8
West Virginia secedes
from Virginia in 1863 and
sides with USA.
Border states/slaves states
remain loyal to the Union
Secession
•Born in Kentucky
•Born in Kentucky
•Self-educated
•Served as Secretary of War
•Congressmen from Illinois
•Senator from Mississippi
•Abolitionist
•Slaveowner
•First Presidential candidate
for the Republican Party
•Served as Secretary of State
•Minority president
•First and only President of the
CSA
BLUE/USA
GRAY/CSA
•United States of America
or Union
•President Abraham Lincoln
•Capital: Washington, D.C.
•Feds-----Federal
•Yanks-----Yankees
•Bluebellies
•Blue coats
•Confederate States of America
•President Jefferson Davis
•Capital: Richmond, VA
•Rebs------Rebels---”Johnny Rebs”
•Secessh-------Seccession
•Graycoats
•Yellow bellies





22 states
22,000,000 population
Strong Industrial economy
Majority of transportation
Lincoln, a military novice.
–

Learns to be an exceptional
commander in chief
Believe war is about ending
slavery and preserving
the Union.


11 states
9,000,000
– includes 3.5 million slaves

Agricultural economy
– Exports, not food
Limited manufacturing and
railroad lines.
 Davis, military experience.

–

Fought in Mexican war
Believe war is about states
rights, independence
and preserving their
way of life.
“The North’s major advantage would be its
economy and the South’s main disadvantage
was its economy”
Confederate Differences
• Defensive War
– Only needed a stalemate- not an outright victory
• North had to invade, conquer, occupy, and reintegrate
the South
• South felt they had the superior moral cause
– Fought for self determination, its culture, its
homeland, and freedoms (for whites)
Confederate Differences
• Better military officers
– Robert E. Lee- one of the greatest military leaders in
U.S. History. Offered command of US forces by Lincoln, but
elected to join confederacy to remain loyal to his home state
(VA)
– Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson
• Lee’s “right-hand” man
• Southern soldiers more adept to outdoor life
(outdoorsmen, hunters, knew the land, etc)
• Shorter supply and communication lines
• More unified in their cause
Northern Advantages
• Population of 22,000,000 to South’s 9,000,000
(which includes 3.5 million slaves)
• ¾ of the nation’s wealth
– Overwhelming advantage in manufacturing, shipping,
and banking
•
•
•
•
¾ of the railroads in the U.S.
Control of the seas: (Stronger Navy)
Stronger leadership at the Federal level
Ideal of preserving the union and, later,
emancipation gave them the moral high ground
Population
Based on %
North
South
Factories
Wealth
Cotton
 Strategy
evolved over 4 years of fighting
 Initially
plan was to win the war in Virginia by capturing
Richmond- failed badly (Bull Run, Peninsula campaign,
Chancellorsville)
 Gen Winfield
Scott’s Anaconda Plan
– Control river systems: cut confederacy in 2 by taking
Mississippi River
– Blockade and seizure of ports
 Later
turned to a war of attrition under Grant and
Sherman
 Don’t allow Confederacy to rest.
 Devastate the South by cutting a swath
through GA. And
then sending troops through the Carolinas
 Always
tried to keep Confederate forces out of
 Defend
and delay until Union gives up (war
of attrition).
 Quick victories to demoralize Union
 Alliance with Great Britain
 Capture Washington, D.C.
 Defend Richmond
 Control border states
 Later Sought decisive battle that would
convince the Union it wasn’t worth it
 Use better military leadership to your
advantage and outsmart Union generals.
Telegraph
– Davis uses to gather forces for Shiloh.
– Fredericksburg sees first extensive use on the
battlefield.
Railway
– Greatly changes logistics and strategic
maneuver.
– North had good system; South had acceptable
quantity, but no standardized track width.

Outdated muskets replaced with rifle
– greatly changes tactics.
– more accurate, faster loading, fire more rounds than muskets
– Minié ball (more destructive bullet)

Artillery
– invention of shells, devices that exploded in the air.
– fired canisters, special shells filled with bullets.
– Grenades
– land mines are used

Ironclads
– replaces wooden ships

Trench warfare replaces Napoleonic tactics
Eastern Theater
Western Theater